On a three-month season the problem with a reefer investment is the calendar, not turnover. Insurance, depreciation and parking run all year, while income arrives in the season. With annual fixed cost S and days used D, the fixed cost per day of use is S / D.
| Annual use | Fixed cost per day | Relative to 270 days |
|---|---|---|
| 270 days | S / 270 | 1.0 |
| 180 days | S / 180 | 1.5 |
| 90 days | S / 90 | 3.0 |
| 45 days | S / 45 | 6.0 |
The table shows fixed cost only; list usage-dependent costs such as fuel, energy, cleaning and preparation separately from quotes or actual records. Use the purchase payment in a cash budget and the depreciation assumption in a period comparison, and do not count both in one total.
The second problem is peak capacity. The seasonal average differs from the highest capacity needed on a single day: in harvest week four vehicles are needed at once, while out of season even one is too many. A fleet sized to the peak sits empty for the rest of the year, and one sized to the average cannot keep up in season. For hire or outsourced transport, confirm date-specific availability, product conditions and cancellation terms in a written offer.
For the off-season do not write 'other freight will be found'; document the product class, route and days, temperature requirement and vehicle fit. Work without evidence is a scenario and does not enter the comparison as realised income. Do not tie the result to one optimistic usage figure; show the calculation both with that work and without it.
Capacity built on containers and eutectic plates grows piece by piece. Using the GEBHARDT Isotec TBX on a dry-freight truck removes the running and maintenance cost of an extra refrigeration unit, and GEBHARDT containers hold the cold chain for up to 24 hours. On the other side, per GEBHARDT's eutectic plate guidance the plates must be completely frozen, with a freezing temperature at least 5 °C below the melting point. Freezer energy, rack space, returns, cleaning and off-season storage are costs too. Match the TBX technical document and the plate document to your quoted model and arrangement.
The GEBHARDT Isotec TBX needs analysis form collects route, product, load quantity, starting condition, door pattern and seasonal scenario in one file. Use the same duration and capacity in the hire-versus-purchase comparison and the same cost scope in the actual vehicle-cost guide.
